Newton Faulkner - 'Studio Zoo' Album Review

NEWTON FAULKNER

STUDIO ZOO ALBUM REVIEW

SET FOR RELEASE AUGUST 26TH

After his most recent album 'Write It On Your Skin' rocketed to number one immediately after release, acoustic god Newton Faulkner is back with another album full of hits! His new album 'Studio Zoo' is set for release on August 26th and I advise you all to head over to his website and pre-order it, you will definitely not be disappointed.

The recording process is different for every artist and in this case, it was entirely unique. Newton set up a live stream where fans could watch him live 24/7 over a 5 week period as he recorded 'Studio Zoo' from his home studio. This gained him a ton of exposure and is possibly one of the best things -in my opinion- that anyone could do while recording an album. It gives people the chance to feel as though they are a part of the process. The album is already set for success and it hasn't even been released yet!

The first track on the album 'Where To Start' starts of with Newton's classic rhythmic picking and in come the mellow vocals, I absolutely love the lyrics of this song, he sings 'keep your love, I don't need nobody'. When you're listening to this song you can hear the atmosphere, almost as though he's performing in the very room that you're in. 

The next track on the 'Studio Zoo' is 'Treading Water'. The song is carried by the slapping of Newton's guitar, a sound that we hear often in his music. With this song his vocals are very fragile. With the next song on the album 'Plastic Hearts' Newton picks up the pace straight away, vocals are speedy and his picking is impeccable. He carries this on with 'Indecisive'. This is a song that is definitely going to be hit, the lyrics are meaningful and the chorus is one that I can picture an entire audience singing back to him at the top of their lungs. 

'Losing Ground' is also a song that catches your attention, it has that same sound that Newton's always had. The harsh guitar rhythm and strong vocals immediately make you want to sing along. This is a song that I think will gain Newton more fans, it has the classic sound of his past music although it has a air of pop around it, meaning that people who may not have listened to him before will hear this song and perhaps want to check out some of his other music too.

The last track on the album 'Orange Skies' rounds the album off nicely. With a chorus that reminds us of that folk sound that we all love. 

This entire album is fantastic, Newton has stayed true to his folk roots while adding so much of his own rhythm and talent which ultimately makes this album what it is. 'Studio Zoo' showcases his singer/songwriting abilities perfectly. Meaningful and relatable lyrics, a great voice, great rhythm and the talent that is Newton Faulkner is the recipe for another No.1 album.

-newcitylauren